How to Get a Food Truck Permit in Oregon

Who issues food truck permits in Oregon

Oregon calls a food truck, trailer or cart a mobile food unit, and it calls the permit a license. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) sets the Food Sanitation Rules (OAR 333-150) and the rules for mobile units, commissaries and warehouses (OAR 333-162). OHA says a Mobile Unit License Application must be submitted to the Local Public Health Authority in your area. Its operation guide sends you to your county health department. A unit that is being constructed or remodeled must also complete plan review locally before construction. OHA says the application, the plan review process and the fees may vary, so contact the county office before you buy or build.

OHA's Mobile Food Unit Operation Guide says a license is required, and that Oregon law requires all food service activities open to the public to be licensed before they operate. Other approvals may be needed too, including planning (zoning), the fire marshal and other city or county authorities. OAR 333-162-0920 says health approval does not replace permits or approvals from other agencies. OHA says that it and local environmental health departments do not enforce the fire rules, so fire officials handle those. The Oregon Department of Revenue handles business taxes and Oregon DMV handles the vehicle.

A mobile food unit is any vehicle that is self-propelled, or can be pulled or pushed down a sidewalk, street, highway or waterway, and that is used to sell and dispense food to the ultimate consumer. OHA says there is no size limit. The unit must stay on functional wheels, be built to move as one piece and keep its operations and equipment integral to the unit.

• Class I: only intact, packaged foods and non-potentially hazardous beverages. No preparation or assembly on the unit. Beverages come from covered urns or dispenser heads only, with no dispensed ice.
• Class II: Class I items plus hot and cold holding display areas for unpackaged foods. No self-service by customers, and no preparation, assembly or cooking on the unit.
• Class III: Class II items, and the unit may cook, prepare and assemble food. Cooking and service of raw animal foods on the unit is not allowed.
• Class IV: a full menu.
• A unit may serve menu items in its class or below. Class I units need not meet the water, sewage and warewashing rules (OAR 333-162-0050).
• You need approval to add or change menu items after the unit is approved (OAR 333-162-0920).

Plan review and the documents counties ask for

New or extensively remodeled units must go through plan review and a pre-operational inspection (OAR 333-162-0920). The rule says a unit with the sanitary approval of a recognized, qualified, independent testing laboratory, or one approved by OHA, may be accepted without submitting plans. OHA's plan review packet says to submit the documents with the required fee to the local environmental health department, and that approval must be obtained before construction or operation of the unit. Multnomah County says it can take up to 15 business days after it receives your final payment to review a packet. When construction is done, you call or email to schedule the pre-opening inspection.

The OHA packet asks for the items below. Counties post their own packets and forms, so use the version from the county where you will be based. The state license application also asks for the unit class, whether the unit is new construction, a remodel or a change of ownership, the type of water and sewer system, and the owner and unit details.

Several build rules decide which truck you can buy. Wheels must stay functional and may not be removed at the operating location. A removable tongue is allowed if simple tools to remove it stay on the unit. A unit designed, built or extensively remodeled after February 1, 2020 must be built to move as a single piece. All operations and equipment must be integral to the unit. Refrigerators and freezers may not sit outside it, and the potable and waste water tanks must be on board. A Class IV unit may use one cooking unit that is not integral, such as a barbecue, smoker or hearth oven. It must be adjacent to the unit, used only for cooking and have a handwashing system next to it. Flat-top grills, griddles, woks, steamtables, stovetops and ovens are not allowed there.

Water and sink rules are in OAR 333-150-0000, section 5-305.11 and related sections. The potable tank must be translucent, so you can see that it is clean, for units licensed on or after February 1, 2020. Potable and waste water tanks must be cleaned at least every six months, or as the manufacturer recommends if that is more often. The waste tank must be 15 percent larger than the fresh water tank. A Class IV unit needs at least 5 gallons for handwashing and 30 gallons, or twice the volume of its three-compartment sink if that is greater, for warewashing. The water heater volume does not count. Sinks must give water at 20 PSI or a continuous flow, not gravity flow. Class II, III and IV units need a handwashing sink. A unit may connect to water and sewer where they exist, but the tanks stay on the unit, and it may not connect to fresh water without an approved sewer connection.

A unit without an onboard toilet must have a restroom that employees can reach during all hours of operation. A unit first licensed on or after February 1, 2020 must be within 500 feet of an accessible restroom. Units on a designated route, units that do not stop at a fixed location for more than two hours in the workday, and units operating with an event are exempt. Multnomah County says you can ask a nearby business to sign an agreement letting you use its restroom.

• Mobile Food Unit Plan Review Application and Mobile Food Unit License Application
• Complete menu: a printed menu or list of all food you will serve
• Floor plan and equipment layout drawn to scale, showing equipment locations and plumbing fixtures: handwashing sink, three-compartment sink with drain boards and interior dimensions, indirect drain, water pump and hot water heater, refrigeration, freezer and cooking equipment, hood vent, and the size and location of the fresh water and waste water tanks
• Plan review worksheet: food handling procedures, construction materials, refrigeration and freezer capacity, hot holding units, plumbing, sink and tank measurements, and an operating schedule with locations
• Waste Water Disposal form and Restroom Agreement form, if needed
• Commissary (commercial kitchen) verification form
• Cooling plan and cooling logs, if needed
• The plan review fee

Commissary and base of operation rules

OAR 333-162-0040 says mobile food units shall operate from a licensed restaurant, commissary or warehouse. A unit that sells only packaged goods may use a warehouse instead of a commissary. The rule also says a self-contained unit may not be required to have a base of operation if it has all the equipment and utensils to keep hot and cold food at proper temperatures in storage and transit, cool and reheat food, wash hands, wash and sanitize ware, get food and water from approved sources, and remove waste water and garbage in a sanitary way at approved locations. The regulatory authority decides whether a unit can work without a base. OHA says it does not mandate a commissary kitchen, but the unit must show it can do all food preparation, dishwashing and storage onboard, and the menu must stay within its originally approved capacity.

Counties apply this differently. Multnomah County says most food carts need a commissary unless they have a 3-compartment sink. It also says carts owned by a restaurant, or carts that only drop off or pick up dishes, still submit a commissary verification form, and that you cannot store food in your house. Under the state rule, a private home kitchen, or a home kitchen licensed by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, may not be used as a commissary. A mobile food unit may not serve as a commissary or warehouse for another unit.

A Memorandum of Commissary or Warehouse Usage/Verification must be on file for units that use a licensed facility as a commissary or warehouse. It uses a form approved by OHA and must be updated at least once per year (OAR 333-162-0950). A warehouse may hold only unopened packaged foods, single-service articles, utensils and equipment. It may not be used to handle unpackaged food, make ice, wash ware, or cool or store food prepared on a mobile unit (OAR 333-162-0940).

A unit without a licensed restaurant or commissary as its base of operation may not cater or sell food wholesale. The exception needs commercial-grade refrigeration, a variance from OHA and only single-use articles for customers (OAR 333-162-0030). OHA lists a $500 application fee for a mobile unit variance to cater. Mobile units must sell or dispense food directly from the unit to the consumer. They may use third-party delivery services and online ordering.

• Wastewater: OHA Fact Sheet #35 lists examples of approved disposal, such as driving the unit to an approved disposal location, adding a second onboard waste tank, connecting to an approved sewage system, RV dump stations, the mop sink in your licensed commissary, a licensed pumper, or hand-carrying gray water in containers of 20 gallons or less that are designed for it.
• Plastic buckets are not allowed for hand-carrying wastewater, and any off-unit tank must be emptied at the end of each day.
• Get your inspector's approval before you dispose of wastewater in a new location. Multnomah County says never to drain wastewater into the street or parking lot.

Propane and fire safety

Fire rules are separate from the health license. OHA says that it and local environmental health departments do not enforce them. The Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) publishes a mobile food unit checklist for on-site inspections under Chapter 41 of the 2025 Oregon Fire Code. OSFM says the 2025 code took effect October 1, 2025, and that the 2022 edition was valid until March 31, 2026. Some city guides still cite the 2022 code. Portland Fire & Rescue and Gresham Fire both issue their own permits for carts, so ask the fire authority where you will operate.

The OSFM checklist covers the items below. Its propane notice for food truck operators says cylinders must be requalified or replaced every 5 to 12 years, depending on the cylinder type, condition and previous requalification method. The original manufacture date and any requalification dates must be shown in a specific way, and cylinders that are overdue must not be refilled. OSFM says propane tanks built to ASTM standards into the truck's body, which makes them hard to remove, are exempt from the DOT reinspection requirements.

Cities add their own rules. In Portland, Portland Fire & Rescue requires a permit every year for portable propane devices. The permit costs $35 and expires on December 31. It also requires a permit for portable propane bottles larger than 17 ounces, a special tank permit for tanks over 25 gallons, and says propane per site or pod cannot exceed 2,000 gallons. Extinguishers must be at least 2A:10BC, mounted in plain view and serviced every year. A K-class extinguisher is required when cooking with oil deeper than 1/4 inch. Portable carts with propane cooking appliances are not allowed inside buildings. Gresham Fire's guide, which cites the 2022 code, requires a business license and a fire permit before you operate, and 5 feet between a cart and buildings, added structures, other carts, tents and canopies. It also requires a Type I hood with fire suppression for cooking that makes grease-laden vapors. LP gas must be protected from impact and used at least 10 feet from combustible materials and property lines. Tents over 200 square feet and canopies over 400 square feet need permits.

• Operational permit issued (code reference 4106.2.1).
• At least five feet of space between the cart and other surroundings, such as buildings, combustible materials, vehicles and other cooking operations (4106.2.4).
• Type I exhaust hood for appliances that produce smoke or grease-laden vapor (4106.2.10).
• LP gas: inspected annually, maximum aggregate volume of 200 pounds, container securely mounted and restrained, container made and installed to NFPA 58, piping protected, and a listed LP gas alarm.
• Two exits, clear and unobstructed, with a customer service window sized for egress (4106.2.7).
• Generators not run in an enclosed area, and no refueling while operating (4106.2.6).
• Systems and exhaust inspected, tested and maintained every six months, and the fuel gas system tested or replaced every 5 to 12 years (4106.2.19).

Inspections, renewals and keeping your license

A license expires on December 31 of each year (OAR 333-162-0880). Each unit must be clearly marked with the licensee's name or a distinctive symbol, with lettering at least 2 inches high in a contrasting color or a symbol at least 12 inches across. It must also carry a number that identifies the unit on inspection reports. The license must be posted in the unit in public view, and the most recent inspection report must be kept in the unit (OAR 333-162-0900). Stored units are not subject to licensure. Multnomah County says licenses are good for one calendar year, and that you must tell the county when your location or menu changes.

Mobile food units follow the inspection and enforcement procedures in OAR 333-157 (OAR 333-162-0890). Those rules call for unannounced inspections and use a sanitation score. Under them, a score below 70 on an unannounced complete inspection leads to closure unless another inspection within 30 days scores 70 or above. Violations that create an imminent or present danger to public health must be corrected immediately. Ask your county how often it inspects mobile units. Operating without a current license, or continuing to operate a unit that was closed for uncorrected violations, can bring a civil penalty of up to $500 per day for willful violations (OAR 333-162-1005).

A unit must be maintained and operated as originally designed and approved. A modified unit may be required to revert to the approved design. A unit on a fixed route must give the county an itinerary before licensing and at the start of each licensing period. A unit that works at specific or multiple locations must give the county a list of all locations (OAR 333-162-0920).

If you move a unit to another county, ORS 624.320(3), as cited on Benton County's Notice of Mobile Unit Movement form, requires you to notify that county's health department before you operate there. Benton County asks for a copy of the license from the other county and an inspection report dated within the last 6 months. It says its inspector may inspect the unit and charge a $25 fee, or require a temporary restaurant license. Check with each county where you plan to work. For fairs, festivals and other events, OHA says a licensed unit may operate as a single-event temporary restaurant under ORS 624.650 and use off-unit tables for non-potentially hazardous items. A unit that puts equipment or work outside the unit beyond that needs a single-event temporary restaurant license from the county where the event is held.

Everyone who works with food needs a food handler card within 30 days of starting work. OHA lists the card at $10, valid for three years and accepted in every county. Cards from other states are not valid in Oregon. A valid food manager training certificate is accepted instead of a food handler card. Someone must be in charge during all hours of operation. Under the 2026 rules, at least one person in charge must be a certified food protection manager by January 1, 2029, and a certified person must be present each day the unit operates by January 1, 2031. The rules allow exceptions for some low-risk operations.

Business registration, taxes and the vehicle

The Oregon Department of Revenue says Oregon doesn't have a general sales or use/transaction tax, so a food truck collects no state sales tax. The department says Oregon does have a vehicle use tax that applies to new vehicles purchased outside the state, so ask about it if you buy a new vehicle out of state.

Other state taxes can still apply. If you have employees, you must register for a payroll account before you issue any paychecks, to withhold and pay Oregon payroll taxes. The Corporate Activity Tax applies to businesses with Oregon commercial activity. You must register within 30 days of reaching $750,000 in a year, and only businesses with more than $1 million of taxable Oregon commercial activity pay it.

For tax accounts, the department says partnerships doing business in Oregon must register with it. An LLC needs a federal employer identification number to register with the department, and a sole proprietorship needs one only if it has employees. Tax programs are registered on Revenue Online. To form a business entity or register a business name, start with the Oregon Secretary of State's Register a Business page, which the department links to.

Local taxes and licenses sit on top. Multnomah County says food cart businesses must file an annual personal property tax return with the county. Gresham tells carts to apply for a Gresham business license. Portland's sidewalk vending permit requires business registration with the City of Portland.

Multnomah County says a food cart must be a vehicle that does not require a special ODOT permit to be moved, be on wheels with the ability to move at all times, have no permanent connection to any utility, and have built-in equipment, including tanks for fresh and gray water. Oregon DMV says to apply for a title within 30 days of the sale to avoid a late fee, with the original title or ownership document (a certificate of origin for a new vehicle). DMV's handbook says a trailer with a loaded weight of 1,801 pounds or more must be titled and registered if used on the highways. It describes a special use trailer as a trailer 8 1/2 feet or less wide, of any length, used for commercial or business purposes, and says its registration fees are based on length. Special use trailers are not registered as light trailers. Ask DMV how your unit will be classed. Gresham also lists state items that can apply to carts, such as insignia from the prefabricated structures section of the Oregon Building Codes division.

City rules in Portland, Salem, Eugene, Gresham and Hillsboro

These are the five largest cities in Oregon in the Portland State University Population Research Center's 2025 certified estimates. The county license is only part of the picture. Cities add zoning, business license, sidewalk and pod rules. Where an official city page could not be confirmed, the entry below says so. Ask the city before you choose a site.

• Portland: a cart in Multnomah County is licensed by the Multnomah County Health Department. The City of Portland says two or more food carts on the same property are a food cart pod and need permits. Permitting & Development says you pay fees on DevHub. A small cart on a public sidewalk needs a Portland Bureau of Transportation Sidewalk Vending Permit. The sidewalk must be in a commercial zone and 10 feet or wider. The application needs the property owner's consent, a site plan, City business registration, a Multnomah County health certificate for food sales, a Fire Bureau propane document for heating food and a certificate of insurance naming the City as additionally insured. PBOT says processing may take 6 to 8 weeks.
• Salem: the license comes from the county environmental health office where the unit operates. OHA's 2022 guide lists Marion County Environmental Health at 503-588-5346. The City of Salem's own food truck rules could not be confirmed on an official page, so ask the City about zoning and business licenses.
• Eugene: mobile unit license applications go to the Local Public Health Authority, which is Lane County. OHA's directory lists Lane County Environmental Health at 151 W. 7th Avenue, Room 430, Eugene, phone 541-682-4480. The City of Eugene's own food truck rules could not be confirmed on an official page, so ask the City about zoning, parks and downtown vending.
• Gresham: Gresham says all food carts must be licensed by the Multnomah County Health Department. The City also requires a business license and a food cart fire permit. A cart on site for less than four hours does not need a permit, and one on site for four hours or more needs land use approval. Type I covers up to two carts or trucks on a developed site, and Type II covers a pod of three or more carts. A Pod Responsible Party must be named. The City Planner on Duty is at 503-618-2780.
• Hillsboro: the Local Public Health Authority is Washington County. OHA's directory lists the food protection line at 503-846-8722 and the Public Health Division at 155 N. First Avenue, Hillsboro. The City of Hillsboro's own food truck rules could not be confirmed on an official page, so ask the City about zoning, business licenses and fire requirements.

Official fees we could confirm

Fees are set locally and change. The amounts below are as listed on each agency's page on 2026-10-14. Fee amounts for Marion, Lane and Washington counties and for the City of Gresham could not be confirmed on an official page, so ask the office for its current fee schedule.

• Multnomah County Environmental Health, 2026 fees: food cart license $760 for Classes 1, 2 and 3 and $920 for Class 4; plan review $790; rush plan review $2,380; commissary license $720; warehouse license $630; recheck fee $270; consultation $265 per hour. Multnomah County says the license fee is separate from plan review and can be paid later.
• Portland Fire & Rescue: propane permit for portable propane devices $35, paid at the time of application. It expires on December 31.
• Portland Bureau of Transportation: Sidewalk Vending Permit $150 per year, application fee $150 and a separate insurance processing fee of $54.
• Oregon Health Authority: $500 application fee for a mobile unit variance to cater without a licensed restaurant or commissary base.
• Oregon Health Authority: food handler card $10, valid for three years. A replacement from the local environmental health office is $5.
• Benton County Environmental Health: $25 inspection fee that its inspector may charge a unit licensed in another county.
• Oregon Department of Revenue: no state sales tax to collect or pay.

Before you buy a truck: checklist

Most costly mistakes happen before the first plan review. Use this list before you pay for a truck or trailer.

• Call the county environmental health office where you will be based first. OHA warns that even commercially made food carts might not meet the rules, and Multnomah County says it will tell you whether a used cart meets code.
• Pick the class that fits your menu (Class I to IV) and write the complete menu before you design the layout.
• Check that the unit has functional wheels, is built to move as one piece, and keeps everything attached or inside, including the refrigerator, freezer and both tanks.
• Check the water system: a translucent fresh water tank, a waste tank 15 percent larger, hot and cold water at 20 PSI or more, a handwashing sink and, if you have no commissary, a three-compartment sink.
• Line up a licensed commissary or restaurant base (or a plan to show the unit is self-sufficient), a restroom within 500 feet and a legal place to dump wastewater.
• Ask the fire authority about the hood, fire suppression, extinguishers and the propane limits before you buy. Check the dates stamped on the propane cylinders.
• Get the title, or the certificate of origin for a new unit, and ask DMV how a trailer will be classed. Ask the Department of Revenue about the vehicle use tax if you buy a new vehicle out of state.
• Remember that Multnomah County licenses are not transferable. A used truck needs a change of ownership and may need plan review with your county.
• Check zoning, business license and pod rules in each city where you plan to sell.